Jesse’s Memorial Walk for Children’s Safety

A 7km fundraising walk to help give schoolchildren access to the Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village Bicycle Safety Program


Jesse Nealey
October 21, 1996 – September 10, 2011

On September 9, 2011, 14-year-old Jesse Nealey was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle on Talbot Street in Blenheim, Ontario. The following day Jesse died as a result of injuries sustained from that tragic accident.

Every year in Canada, approximately 115 children die as a result of pedestrian injuries. By combining skill-building safety courses for bicyclists with heightened awareness by motorists, many unfortunate injuries and deaths can be prevented.

Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village bicycle safety program, held every spring at the C.M. Wilson Conservation Area in Chatham, Ontario, teaches Grade 4 students cycling skills and pedestrian-related safety awareness. The cost of the program is $75 per student. By enabling more children to enroll in this program, our collective peace of mind as a community is sure to flourish.

Safety is everyone’s responsibility. Do your part today.

All proceeds from the walk were donated to the C-K Children’s Safety Village in Jesse Nealey’s name.


Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village
_____________________________________________

Rod Wellington would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in, gathered pledges for, and donated money to Jesse’s Memorial Walk for Children’s Safety on Saturday, October 22, 2011. Carrie Formosa and Rod are very pleased to announce that the walk raised $6850, enough to help 91 kids attend safety programs at the Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village. The combined efforts of everyone involved will help to increase the level of road-related safety for the citizens of Chatham-Kent. Well done everyone! Hope to see you all at Jesse’s Memorial Walk 2012.

Thanks to Brenda Armstrong at Tim Hortons for donating coffee to the event. Thanks to Dean Mills at No Frills for donating water. Thanks to Bruce Cockburn and the staff at Bowlerama for donating potato chips. Thanks to Screen Craft for printing the participation ribbons. Thanks to Megan, Luca and Carrie Formosa for baking the scrumptious cookies. Thanks to Colleen Formosa and her children, McKayli and Braydon, and Billy Nealey’s mother for setting up the reception table at the finish line. Thanks to Sid Formosa at Formosa Graphics for designing the route map.

Thanks to Alzira Caetano and Barb Lovell at the Chatham-Kent Children’s Safety Village for their amazing co-operation and encouragement. Please support the Children’s Safety Village. They are doing a terrific job to ensure the safety of Chatham-Kent residents.

Thanks to Ellwood Shreve and Blair Andrews at Chatham Daily News, Don Robinet at Chatham This Week, Peter Laurie at the Blenheim Tribune News, Trevor at Blackburn Media (CFCO, CKSY and CKUE), Gary Patterson at CKXS 99.1FM in Wallaceburg and Gina Chung at CTV Windsor for their interest in the event.

And finally, thanks to Blake, Annette and Billy Nealey for fully supporting the idea of this walk from its inception and for ensuring that it becomes an annual event. The Nealey family has displayed a truly admirable sense of courage, strength and stamina in the wake of Jesse’s death. They have chosen to not only honour the memory of their son and brother, but to look ahead and see that healthy, positive change is indeed possible in the shadow of a dark tragedy. And for doing so, they have earned our deepest respect.

A tribute to Jesse Nealey, by Rod Wellington

Last week, during the planning of this event, an inspirational message from an Australian woman who I have never met appeared on my Facebook newsfeed. It read:

“Your life is your message to the world. Make sure it’s inspiring.”

The message was made all the more poignant by the fact that this walk was being organized as a tribute to a young man who was taken from us far too soon. I was moved to tears as I read the message on my computer screen one more time.

“Your life is your message to the world. Make sure it’s inspiring.”

I believe that Jesse Nealey’s story needs to be told by those whose lives were deeply touched by his presence. His is a local story, a story best documented by local artists, expertly edited and presented as just that: art. As some wise peers of mine once wrote, “life is the art that we make”.

Jesse was an honest kid, an outgoing kid, a kid who cared about other kids, a kid who always offered a smile and a pleasant greeting even on the darkest of days. He was a kid who opened doors for others and helped shoulder the weight when our burdens were plenty. He was a kid who had been taught by wonderful parents to put others before him, to love everyone in his unique way and to experience fully those things that brought joy to his heart. In short, Jesse Nealey inspired us all to become better people. And we are better people for having known him.

This walk offers us not only the opportunity to pay tribute to a young man who fervently pursued his passions, but it also gives us the chance to show that positive change is possible even in the shadow of a dark tragedy. Together, we will heal as we move forward. And even with our hearts heavy from loss and longing, we will draw from the strength of our memories and walk forward with courage and conviction, seeking to replicate the valuable lessons taught to us by a young man who had been blessed with a full heart of empathy and a mind full of active intent.

Thank you, Jesse. Thank you for brightening our lives and displaying a fearless sense of confidence and maturity. We will continue to challenge ourselves endlessly, as you most effortlessly did, and we will never forget your exemplary example of a life lived fully and beautifully. Yours was a life whose inspirational message will never dull. We thank you. We miss you. And we love you.


Map design by Formosa Graphics

Jesse’s Memorial Walk for Children’s Safety: The Route (R=right turn, L=left turn)
Start: No Frills parking lot at Queen Street and Indian Creek Road
Cross Queen Street and continue west on footpath along Indian Creek to Lacroix Street
L on Lacroix Street
R on Indian Creek Road
R on Mud Creek footpath behind John McGregor Secondary School
R on Tweedsmuir Avenue West
L on Queen Street
R on Centre Street, merge with Fifth Street
L on King Street
R on Third Street, merge with St. Clair Street
L on Grand Avenue
R on Ursuline Avenue to oval track behind Ursuline College Chatham
Finish
Total distance: 7km